Apparatus for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparentvessels



.Nov. 23, 1937; N. P. STOATE Er AL APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN BODIES ON THE BOTTOMS OF TRANSPARENT VESSELS Filed Jan. 28, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l J m H N N M%& m N T 2 w A 5 3 :wd m i 5 I V, P

LL-FFFEI N. P. STOATE ET AL 2,100,227 APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN Nov. 23, 1937.

BODIES ON THE BOTTOMS OF TRANSPARENT VESSEL-S 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1936 Nov. 23, 1937. N. P. STOATE ET AL APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN BODIES ON THE BOTTOMS OF TRANSPARENT VESSELS Filed Jan. 28, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HTTOIQIVEV 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 V N. P. STOATE ET AL DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN Filed Jan. 28, 1936 APPARATUS FOR' BODIES ON THE BOTTOMS OF TRANSPARENT VESSELS Nov. 23,-1937.

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Nov) 23, 1937.

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN BODIES ON THE BOTTOMS OF TRANSPARENT VESSELS Filed Jam-.28, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet N. P. STOATE ET AL 2 2,100,227

Patented Nov. 23, 1937.

JPATENT OFFICE V aroma-l I APPARATUS FOE DETECTING THE PRES- ENCE OF FOREIGN BODIES ON THE BOT- TOMS F TRANSPARENT VESSELS -NormanParker Stoate, Kew Gardens, and Wil-' I liam Albert Robinson, Wembley Hill, England;

said Robinson assignor to said Stoate 7 Application January 28, 1936, Serial No. 61.254

.9Claims.

Thisinvention relates to apparatus for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels.

According to the present invention the apparatus comprises a support (to receive the vessel) having a narrow scanning slit formed therein, 5. a light-sensitive device disposed beneath the scanning slit, 9. source of light disposed to direct, its lightthrough the bottonr of the vessel on to the slit, means for rotating the vessel about its longitudinal axis and means operable under the control of the light-sensitive device to give a signal or indication when the light falling on the light-sensitive device is reduced below a predel5 termined value. y

Preferably, the support and the light-sensitive device are .;mounted on a rotatable element and the rotation of the vessel is produced by engagement of the external wall of the vessel with a fixed 20 rail, as the element rotates and moves the support andthe vessel bodily along a circular path. In order to e;xplain the invention further one construction according thereto, which is particularly intended for the inspection of milk bottles,

25 will now'be described by way of example with reference to the accomp drawinga/ although the invention is not limited to this particular example. o Inthe dmwings: 3o 1 is a plan of the apparatus;

- Figure 2 is a cross sectional elevation on the line lIlI of figure 1, parts being broken away; Figure 3 is across sectional plan on the line IiIIlIofFlgure2;' y 35 Figure dis a view on alarger scale showing ,one arrangement of thescanning slit; L Figure 4* is aslmilar viewshowing an alternative arrangement of the scanning slit; 7 V 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus; 40 Figures 6 and '1 show alternative wiring diagrams for one of the photocell circuits.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the apparatus comprises a vertical central shaft 5 The bottles are fed to the rotating head 5 by a conveyor band L'which may be driven by any known means, a guide 8 beingprovided to feed the bottles on to the platforms 6; the head 5 being recessed atthe platform as shown in order to, docate wbettleon ,the platforms.

5 Formed in the head 5 behind eachof the platforms 6 is a chamber Scontaining a lamp I0,

there being provided in the outer wall of said chamber a \window ll through which light from said lamp may pass.

Formed in each platform 6 is a narrow scan- 5 ning slit l2disposed on the same side of the centre of the bottle (shown at B) when in position, as the lamp l0, so that light from the lamp lllpasses through the window ll, the-bottle B, 'and'the slit l2 on to a-reflector l3 and thence 10 on to--a photo-eleetric cell $4, the reflector and photo-electric cell being mounted in a chamber l5 formed in the casing below the platform 6.

There is a chamber l5 containing a reflector l3 and photo-cell it below each platform 6, and

below the chambers l 5 the casing i is divided into four compartments I6 which serve to house. the amplifiers for the'photq-cells, one of said amplifiers being shown diagrammatically at Ill in Figure 2. g J

The casing 4 is rotated by anelectric motor l8 which through a'worml gear l9 drives a clutch element zll'freely mounted on the shaft l. The

casing l rests freely on a friction disc 21 disposed betweenthe bottom 4a of the casing 4 and the 25 clutch elementlfl, the weight of the casing being suflicient to provide an effective, friction grip and consequent driving of the casing from the motor. I

The advantage of this arrangement is that the casing can be withdrawn vertically and replaced round, the external wallof each bottle engages the lining 2d of the rail 23 whereby the bottles are rotated about their longitudinal axes on the platforms 6 as'they travel round bodily with the head 5,

The length and disposition of the slit l2 must be 5 such that the smallest particle which the apparatus is intended to detect, will, whether located right against the inside wall of the bottle, or at the centre or between these points, reduce the quantity of light reaching the slit l2 to an extent suflicient to affect the photo-cell.

As shown in Figure 1 and in Figure 4 the slit I2 is disposed to one side of a radius of the bottle when the latter is in position on the platform 6. With this arrangement the sensitivity of the apparatus is increased and a wider slit can centre and will fall on the slit even though the be used compared with that which would be necessary if the centre line of the slit were coincident with a radius of the bottle, owing to the 'wall of the bottle, since the shadow thrown by the particle will be directed inwardly towards the latter is not actually cover the particle, although the extent to whic end of the slit falls short of the inside wall of the bottle depends on the size or the particle and the angle of the light falling thereon.

If it is desired to detect small particles of transparent material then the slit should extend beyond the centre of the bottle.

The reason for this is that if a small trans parent particle is located at the centre and the slit only extends up to the centre then the particle, although covering the slit, will allow light to pass through and fallon the slit. 0n the other hand if the slit extends beyond the centre the shadow (caused by refraction) thrown by the particle, which will be beyond the centre, will fall on to the slit. 1,

If desired the slit may be disposed sons to coincide with a radius of the bottle when the latter is in position. Such an arrangement of the slit is shown at I2 in Figure 4*. Mounted in each of the compartments 115 is magnet 25 the current to which is controlled by I the photo-cell l4 through-the amplifier II.

This magnet has a hinged armature 26 through which passes a trip rod 21 carrying at its lower end an insulated contact bridge in the form of a disc 28.

The hole in the armature 26 through which the rod 21 passesis slightly larger thanthe diameter of therod, so that when the magnet 25 is in the de-energized condition the armature drops until the edge of the hole rests against the side of 50 the rod :1. The friction between the rod 21 and 'the edge of the hole in the'armature retains the rod 21 in its ,upper position until the magnet is energized whereupon the. armature is attracted into the horizontal position, thereby relieving the rod of the lateral pressuredue to the weight of thearmaturesothattherodisfreetofailandconnect a pair of contacts by means. of its bridge 28, p I

This form of contact making mechanism is well tkinown and forms no part of the present inven- As already mentioned the head 5 rotates about the shaft I and during this rotation the bottles 13,. rotate about their axes whereby the bottom of each bottle is scanned by passing over the it during this scanning operation a foreign body'is present in a bottle, this body on passing across the scanning slit, will reduce the light falling on the p -cell I4 and the current flowing throughithe amplifier will be increased. 6

This increased current closes the contacts of a;

"' relay,aswillbeexplainedlaterwithreferenceto' the wiring of Figure: 6, whereby current of the latter.

is supplied to the magnet 25 and the trip rod 21 is allowed to fall as already explained.

This fall of the trip rod 21 is utilized to eject the defective bottle and the means for eflecting this operation will now be described.

The bottles are discharged from the head 5 on fingers 29 which act alternately, being secured to the conveyor band 'I' by means of rotating to a shaft 30 which is driven at a speed relative to that of the casing 4 such that the bottle when impelled by one of the fingers travels faster than when impelled by the head 5. This shaft 30 is rotated by means of gear teeth 3| cut on the lower part of the casing, which teeth engage with a gear wheel 32 secured to, the shaft 30.

Mounted on brackets 33 secured to the standards 8a and 22 is a fixed ring 34 carrying a pair of insulated contacts 35 connected to apparatus for releasing a guide 36 for ejecting the defective bottle from the band I after said bottle has been discharged from the head 5 onto said band.

This guide 351s secured to'a shaft 31 and is normally latched in the full line position of Figure 1, a magnet for releasing the latch being energized when the contacts 35 are bridged. When the latch is released a spring pulls the guide 35 into the chain line position so that the defective platform.

It will beunderstood that a bottle in which no foreign body has been detected will, in passing ofl. the platform 6, tend to release the trip rod 21, since the walls of the bottle in passing, over the slit l2 will reduce the cell. 7 I

In order to obviate this incorrect release of the trip rod 21, a guard plate 33 isprovided above the ring 34 this plate 38 being disposed so that its uppersurface is just level with the undersurface of the disc 28 on the rod 21 when .the

'bottle is "guided of! the band 1 onto a receiving light reaching the photo latter is in its raised position. When the mag-f net 25 is energized due to the bottle walls passing over the slit 12, the rod 21 is prevented from dropping by the guard plate 38.

If, however, the magnet 25 has already beenenergized due to a foreign body in the bottle passing over the slit I2, the rod 21 will have dropped until arrested by-its' disc 28 eng si s he ring 34. Thedisc 28 will therefore pass round under the guard plate 38 and will bridge the contacts 35, thereby releasing the ejector finger or ide 36. H

The contacts 35 must be placed so as to give the e-necessary delay in the release of the'g'uide 35,

which release must occur after. the preceding bottle has passed the position which the guide 35 occupies when released, but before-the bottle to be rejected has reached a position-in which it' would be struck by the guide 35, during movement In order to reset the trip rod into its upper position after it has been released, a ramp 3! is I provided on the ring 34. r qonveniently this ramp is placed so as to be engaged by the disc 25 just after a bottle has arrived on the associated platform 8. Bythis means the trip-is reset after having been released either by a foreign body .in

the bottle which was previously on the platform, I

or by thepassa of the walls of the-next following bottle over the slit while said following bottle.

was passing on to theplatform. a

Current is supplied, t6 th electrical circuits of the apparatus through brushes 4| secured to a fixed bracket and eng ing with slip rings at secured to. the underside'of the lower portion of 20 being connected to the terminal 53'of the relay.

the casing 4'. Any form of amplifier may be employed provided that it is suitable for the characteristics of the particular type of photo-cell used.

A common form-of amplifier circuit for use with of the magnet 25 for controlling the trip rod 21,

said magnet having one terminal connected to the relay terminal 52 while the other terminal of. the magnet is connected to one pole of a source of current, the other pole of said source The filament 54 of the valve 41- is connected in the usual manner across the mains 45, 50 through resistances 55.

If des'ned, instead of or in addition to energizing the magnet 25 to eject a defective bottle, the relay 50 may close the circuit of a visible or audible signal or may open a switch supplying current to the driving motorlB. Such arrangements are, however, well known and need not be described in this specification. v

For use, with alternating current from the mains the following circuit is preferred.

In this circuit a mains transformer 80 is pro: vided which has a centre tappe secondary winding BI, 62,- the induced volta'ges 1 the two halves of this winding being in phase opposition. The centre point 53 of the secondary winding is connected to the cathode 64 of a gas filled relay S5 and across each half winding is a potentiometer B5, 611 respectively. a

One of these potentiometers 6B is connected through a resistance 68 to the anode 69 of an amplifying valve l9, while the other potentiometer 67 is connected to the anode l2 of'the photo-electric cell.

The anode 59 of valve l is'directly connected to the grid E301 the gas filled relay and the grid Id of the valve '80 is connected to the catho e 75 of the photocell. The cell cathode i5 is also connected through a limiting resistance it to the outer terminal Tl of the portion $2 of the secondary winding of transformer at. Further the cathode 80 of the valve 70' is also to the terminal Ti through a resistance 8!.

The outer terminal 18 of the other portion El of said secondary is connected through the winding of magnet 25 to the anode IQ of the gas filled relay 65.

windings 8E and 83 are provided for heating the filaments of the valve 70 and relayv 65.

With the two potentiometers correctly set and with a given light value on the cell, the circuit 0 is passive and no current flows through the magnet winding 25. If, however, the light fall'ingon the photocell is reduced below a predetermined value, then the equilibrium of the circuit is disturbed and themagnet 25 becomes energized.

Although in the foregoing description the rail 23 has been referred to as extending completely along. the path of the bottles while on the plat- -forms 5, such an arrangement is not essential.

It issufiiclent if the rail is made of a length at least equal to the circumference of the bottle 50" eign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels comprising in combination a support for a vessel,

said support having a narrow scanning slit,

formed therein having an area small relatively to that of the bottom of the vessel and a length substantially equal to the radius of the vessel,

a light-sensitive device disposed beneath the support, a source of light disposed to direct its light through the bottom of the vessel onto the slit, means for rotating the vessel about its longitudinal axis scanned, means operable underlthe control of the light-sensitive device to give a signal or indication when the light falling on the light-sensitive device is reduced below a predetermined @hereby the entire surface is 5 value, and means for preventing operation of the indicating means due to the passage of the walls of the vessel across the scanning slit. 2. Apparatus for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels,

comprising in combination a rotatable assembly 25 includinga support for a vessel, having a narrow scanning slit formed therein, a light-sensitive device disposed beneath the support, and a source of light disposed todlrect its light through the least equal to the circumference of a, vessel and disposed to engage the wall of -the vessel as said assembly rotates whereby .the' vessel is caused to bottom of the vessel onto the slit, means foriro- 3O tatlng said assembly, a fixed rail of a length at makeat least one complete rotation about its longitudinal axis and means operable under the control of the light-sensitive device to give a signal or indication when the light falling on the light-sensitive device is reduced below a predetermined value.

-3. Apparatus for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels,

comprising in combination a rotatable assembly including a support for a vessel, having a narrow scanning slit formed therein, s id slit being coin-v cident with a radius of the v el when said vess'el is in position on the support, and extending beyond the centre of the vessel, a light-sensitive device disposed beneath the support and a source of light disposed to direct its light through the bottom of the vessel on to the slit, means for rotating the vessel about-its longitudinal axis, means operable under the control of the lightsensitive device to give a. signal or indication means for'preventing operation of the indicating means due to the passage of the walls of the vessel across the scanning slit.

' when the .light falling on the light-sensitive device is reduced below a predetermined value, and

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 for detectin 50 the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels, wherein the scanning slit is coincident with a radius of the vessel when on the support and extends beyond the centre of said vessel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 for detectin the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of, transparent vessels, wherein the scanning slit is disposed parallel with but displaced to one side' of a radius of .a vessel, when on the support,

whereby a wider slit can be employed than when the slit is disposed radially owing to the obliquity. of the light rays falling on said slit.

.6. Apparatus according to claim 2 for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vesselawherein the scanning slit is disposed parallel! with but displaced to one side oil a radius of a vessel, when on the support. .whereby a wider slit can be employed than when the slit is disposed radially owing to the obliquity of the light rays falling on said slit. 0

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 for detecting the presence of ioreignbodies on the bottoms oi transparent vessels including means for prevent:

ing operation of the indicating means due to the passage of the walls of a vessel across the scannlng slit. v

8. Apparatus for detecting the presence or foreign bodies on the bottoms of transparent vessels,

comprising in combination a rotatable assembly including a support for a vessel. said support having a narrow scanning slit formed therein, a

I light-sensitive device disposed beneath the support'and a source of light disposed to direct its veying means, means operable under the control of the light-sensitive device for rendering said ejecting mechanism operative, timing means for delaying the operation of said ejecting mechanism until the detective vessel has reached 'a predetermined location, and means for preventing" operation 01. the indicating means due to'the passage of the walls of the vessel across the Slit. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 for detecting the presence of foreign bodies on the bottoms oi transparent vessels, wherein the means, operable under the control oi the light-sensitive device includes a movable contact normally in an upper position but adapted to fall to a lower position when the light falling on the light-sensitive device isreduced below a predetermined value,,'a fixed track on which said movable contact rests after it has fallen, a fixed contact disposed in said track at a point such that it will be engaged by saidmovable contact when the vessel which caused the fall of said'movable contact reaches a predetermined point on the conveying means, a fixed guard plate disposed at the same level asthe movable contact when'in its upper position, said guard plate extending over that portion of the path oi the movable contact which is traversed by said movable contact while the walls 0! ayessel are pass s over the scanning slit during discharge oi. said vessel, whereby'said movable contact is prevented from falling due to the reduction of the light reaching the light-sensitive device produced by the vessel walls, and a ramp on said flxed track for resetting the movable contact, said ramp being located so as to be reached by the movable contact after said contact has passed the station at which the vessels arrive on 30 the support. V

, NORMAN PAQJ'EKER STOA'I'E.

. WILLIAM ERT ROBINSON. 

